Raphaël Calvet

Raphaël Calvet
Personal information
Date of birthFebruary 7, 1994
Place of birthAuxerre, France
Height1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing positionDefender
Club information
Current team
Brentford
Number25
Youth career
2000–2004CAV St. Georges[1][2]
2004–2011AJ Auxerre
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2011–2013AJ Auxerre B38(0)
2012–2013AJ Auxerre1(0)
2013–Brentford0(0)
National team
2009–2010France U1612(3)
2010–2011France U1720(1)
2011–2012France U188(0)
2013–2014France U204(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Raphaël Calvet (born February 7, 1994) is a French professional footballer who plays for Brentford. He began his career at AJ Auxerre in France and represented France up to U20 level.

Club career

AJ Auxerre

Calvet joined his hometown club AJ Auxerre in 2004,[1] progressing through the youth ranks and making his debut for the club's reserve side in the Championnat de France amateur at the end of the 10/11 season.[3][4][5] Calvet made his first team debut in a 1–1 Ligue 2 draw at Châteauroux in November 2012, starting the match and playing the full 90 minutes.[6] He was an unused substitute on a further three occasions during Auxerre's 2012/13 campaign. Following injuries and the arrival of Bernard Casoni as manager, Calvet was not called into the first team squad in 2013.[7] Entering the final year of his contract and seeking regular first team football, Calvet trialled at newly promoted Premier League side Cardiff City in July 2013, but turned a contract offer down, due to fears about a lack of first team football.[8] Calvet departed the AJ Auxerre in September 2013.[3]

Brentford

Calvet signed for English League One side Brentford on transfer deadline day in September 2013, penning a three year contract.[3] Manager Uwe Rösler stated that while Calvet would train with the first team, his initial appearances for the Bees would be for the club's Development Squad.[3] Calvet made his debut for the Development Squad in a 1–1 Professional U21 Development League 2 South draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on September 16.[9] Awarded the number 25 shirt, he made his first team debut in a 2–1 Johnstone's Paint Trophy defeat to Peterborough United on October 8 and played the full 90 minutes.[10] Calvet had a difficult introduction to life and football in England, later recalling that "the language is difficult when you have to think quickly to speak to the other players on the pitch. It was good to have Farid El Alagui and Toumani Diagouraga around (translating) at the beginning because I am still learning English".[11]

Under new first team manager Mark Warburton, Calvet received his maiden call into a league squad on 1 March 2014, remaining as an unused substitute for a 0–0 draw with Carlisle United.[12] In April, Calvet stated that he would have to keep proving himself to win a place in the first team, saying "I spoke to the manager and he said I have to prove every day; I can’t be good two days and then bad one day. I have to prove every day that I am better than the men who are in front of me".[11] Calvet finished the 2013/14 season with 15 appearances for the Development Squad[13] and one first team appearance.[14] In July 2014, Mark Warburton revealed he was planning to loan Calvet out during the 2014/15 season (with Belgian Second Division side Royal Antwerp reported as a possible destination in late August),[15][16] but a move failed to materialise. Having failed to feature in a first team squad during the first half of the season, Calvet said "I am not in England to play in the Development Squad. I think I need to go on loan to prove myself. I am looking for good football at a club where I can progress".[17]

International career

Calvet captained the France U16, U17 and U18 squads and played in the 2011 European U17 Championship and the 2011 U17 World Cup.[3] He received his first call up to the France U20 squad for the 2013 Jeux de la Francophonie[18] and made his debut in a 3–0 group stage defeat to Congo.[19] Calvet received his first U20 call up of 2014 for a friendly versus Ukraine on March 5 2014.[20] He played the second half in the 1–1 draw.[21]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Joueur – Raphaël CALVET – FFF". Fff.fr. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  2. ↑ "C Av Saint-Georges Former players France Football Association Soccerclub directory Catalog Soccer-T". Soccer-talents.com. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "BEES SIGN FRENCH UNDER-20 INTERNATIONAL". Brentfordfc.co.uk. 2013-09-02. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  4. ↑ "France – R. Calvet – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". Uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  5. ↑ "Raphaël Calvet sa saison en CFA Groupe B 2010/2011 avec Auxerre". Foot-national.com. 2011-05-28. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  6. ↑ http://www.a.soccervista.com/Chateauroux-Auxerre-1219470-1219470.html
  7. ↑ Le Journal du Centre. "A la Une – AUXERRE (89000) – Raphaël Calvet revient sur son départ de l’AJA vers Brentford". www.lejdc.fr. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  8. ↑ http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/brentford-youngster-raphael-calvet-explains-turning-down-cardiff-3986690#.U0faiFe9ZPc
  9. ↑ "BRIGHTON DS 1 BRENTFORD DS 1". Brentfordfc.co.uk. 2013-09-16. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  10. ↑ "BBC Sport – Peterborough United v Brentford". Bbc.co.uk. 2013-10-08. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk/news/article/raphael-calvet-palace-10.04.14-1480429.aspx
  12. ↑ "BBC Sport – Carlisle United 0–0 Brentford". Bbc.co.uk. 2014-03-01. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  13. ↑ http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk/news/article/201314-development-squad-stats-1710997.aspx
  14. ↑ http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=72544&season_id=143
  15. ↑ http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/brentford-boss-reveals-loan-plans-7394552
  16. ↑ http://www.westlondonsport.com/brentford/football-wls-brentford-defender-set-for-season-loan-move-to-belgian-side
  17. ↑ http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk/news/article/raphael-calvet-reflects-on-brentford-win-over-crystal-palace-2234229.aspx
  18. ↑ "International Round-Up". Brentfordfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  19. ↑ "Match – Congo Brazzaville – France – FFF". Fff.fr. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  20. ↑ "Raphaël Calvet International Call-Up". Brentfordfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  21. ↑ "Raphaël Calvet Makes France Appearance". Brentfordfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-04-09.

External links